Track switch



A. c. MYERS.

TRACK SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1919.

1,403,053, Patented Jam 10, 1922.

r ever-a FATE.

TRACK swrrcn.

Application filed May 27,

brickssliding down a single track into a plurallty of tracks insuccession, but may be used for switching other articles and on tracksof other kinds.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a perspective view of myimproved track switch.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a track down which bricks slide insuccession, the tracks being inclined at a suficient angle, andsufficiently lubricated, if necessary, to permit the bricks to so slide.

The lower end of the track 1, which I term a departure track, isenlarged in width, as shown at 2, and the lower end of the enlargedportion 2 can communicate with three entrance tracks, 3, 4., and 5, bymeans of switches, hereinafter more fully described, the bricks enteringthese tracks in succession.

Supposing that the parts are in the position shown in the figure, thefirst brick passes down the middle track 3. In doing so, it impingesagainst an oblique upwardly extending surface 6 of a shifter 7, attachedto the rear end of a lever 8, movable on a vertical pivot 10 through anopening in a side wall 9 of said track 3, causing said lever to swingout of said opening to the right,

and a front portion 11 of thelever, which extends in front of thevertical pivot 10 of the lever, to swing to the left, thereby block ingthe entrance to the track 3 and causing the next succeeding brick topass down into the track 4. Said brick sliding down the track 4,impinges against an oblique upwardly extending surface 12 of a shifter13,

which is moved into and out of track 4 through a hole in the left-handwall 14 of said track 41, causing the shifter to move to the left out ofits position in the track 4 to.

a position in which it is clear of said track, also returning theshifter 7 to its original position in the track 3. Said shifter isrigidly connected by a bar 16 with a shifter 17, and the movement to theleft of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 10, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 300,077.

shifter 13 therefore also moves the shifter 17 into the track 5 througha hole .in the righthand wall of said track, said. shifter 17 beingattached toa lever 18 movable into and'out of holes in the right handwallof the track 5, and in the left hand wall of the trough 3 andpivoted to a vertical pivot 19, and having a forwardly extending wallsect10 n 21. The movement to the left of the shifters 7 and 17 swingsthe forwardly extending wall sections 11 and 21 to the right. and,thereby obstructs the entrances to the tracks 3 and 4: and opens theentrance to the track 5, so that the next succeeding brick slides downthe track 5. In sliding down said track, it impinges upon an upwardlyextending oblique surface 22 of the shifter 17, and moves it and alsothe shifter 13, back to the positions shown in the figure, so that theparts are in their original position, and the next brick slides down thetrack 3, and the cycle of operations is then repeated.

I claim i 1. In a track switch, the combination with a departure trackhaving side walls, outer tracks having side walls, the outer of whichwalls merge into line and are contiguous with the side walls of thedeparture track and the inner side walls of which terminate so as tocommunicate the outer tracks with the departure track, an inner trackhaving side walls terminating at and in close asso-v ciation with theends of the inner side walls of the outer tracks, switch levers pivotedintermediate of their ends at points where the side walls of the innerand outer tracks meet and having their forward portions movable acrossthe departure track between the side walls of said departure track, ashifter on the rear portion of one of said levers movable into and outof one of the outer tracks between said outer track and the inner trackanother shifter on the rear portion of the other-lever movable into andout of the inner track between the other outer track and said innertrack, another shifter movable into and out of the another outer trackbetween said outer track and the inner track simultaneously withmovement of the first named shifter and means of rigid connectionbetween said first and last named shifters providing for simultaneousmovement thereof.

2. In a track switch the combination with a departure track, outertracks in communication with the departure track, an inner track incommunication with the departure track, all of said tracks converging toa common point of communication; of switch levers pivoted intermediateof their ends at the points where the several tracks connect with oneanother and having forward portlons movable from opposite sldes of saiddeparture tracks across the latter, a shlfter on the rear portion of onelever movable between the inner track and one outer track so as toextend into and out of said outer track, another shifter on the rearportion of the other lever movable between the other outer track andinner track so as to extend into and out of'the inner track, anothershifter movable into and out of the other outer-track, between saidtrack and the inner track so that when moved out of said track it willengage and move the second named shlfter into the lnner track and meansof rigid connection between the first and ALBERT c. MYERS.

